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The much-anticipated season premiere of Bones does not deliver. Putting Booth and Brennan together was a risk, but it has not worked out in my book, kind of like the way House and Cuddy did not work. You took the best parts of each personality and sort of invalidated them by making them a generic couple.

But it's not just that. The case of the week did not really entertain, weak premise, even weaker explanation. I know diehard Bones fans loved this, so maybe you have to be one, because this casual viewer did not.

decent but predictable

great premiere, i was pleased with how they handled brennan and booth finally being a couple and her being pregnant, i was worried it would ruin the show but i was wrong.

My only problem was that it was a predictable ending, the second it was pointed out the guy was chewing gum i knew that that would be the evidence proving he was the killer which made the episode a little boring to watch.

Bones isn't a great show, but it gets a lot of things right.

The dialogue is zippy, the stars are easy on the eyes, the makeup effects on the victims are the proper level of grotesque, and the mysteries are never too demanding. And that's why the show has survived to its seventh season; it's perfect background-noise TV, the type of series that's easily digested in chunks of several hours while other tasks command your attention. Of course, when you sit down and actually watch the show, a lot of the things Bones gets right begin to reveal their flimsiness. But at least they're propped up against a strong core—the relationship between forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth—and a workmanlike understanding of procedural television.

One of the defining elements of that central relationship is how it requires Dr. Brennan to lower her considerable guardedness. Bones has made a long-running gag of its titular character's inability to empathize with her fellow human beings, and so the fact that she could trust, confide in, and eventually establish an intimate relationship with Booth means a lot. The pair jumped the final "Will they, or won't they?" hurdle last season, and the show dropped the inevitable cliffhanger bomb that Brennan was pregnant with Booth's child in the season finale. As such, showrunner Hart Hanson and his writers deserve some credit for monkeying with the winningest aspect of the Bones formula in "The Memories In The Shallow Grave"—Brennan has admitted that she's had feelings for Booth several times, but by putting the character through a pregnancy, they're effectively forcing emotion on her. And that reveals a new layer to the Brennan-Booth relationship while also placing the characters in consistently close quarters to one another. The show's sixth season opened with Brennan and Booth separated by thousands of miles; in their first scenes together in the new season, they're shoulder to shoulder in Booth's laughably small kitchen. Brennan's pregnancy will be the source of countless, obnoxious "baby bump" and over-detailed explanations about hormones for the remainder of this seventh season, but this is escapist TV, so you can easily tune those things out.

While those recent developments add a wrinkle to Brennan's characterization, her and Booth's colleagues at the Jeffersonian Institute and the FBI are starting to shed some of their defining facets. Many, more interesting interns have been sacrificed along the journey, leaving the seventh season's first lab assistant slot open for Michael Grant Terry's kind of dull Wendell Bray. Now with a child of their own, Angela and Hodgins have had many of their rough edges smoothed—particularly Hodgins, once a rebellious conspiracy theorist who speaks an alarming amount of his "The Memories In The Shallow Grave" dialogue in baby-talk. Elsewhere, some characters just stay the same: Brennan's boss Cam is as stern as ever; John Francis Daley is always a welcome presence, but FBI psychologist Lance Sweets continues to be little more than a head-shrinking gadfly in Brennan and Booth's lives, the guy who's always there to add an extra twist on a relationship development when the episode calls for it. In "The Memories In The Shallow Grave," that means nudging the characters toward finding a new home together—as well as laying out a confusing timeline for the case of the week using Chinese takeout items.

Seeing as Brennan's pregnancy essentially overshadows the murder of unfortunate amnesiac Claire Serrano, it's appropriate that the events leading up to Claire's death are rendered in a bunch of food. But the Bones writers have this stuff down pat at this point, and this is probably an example of them being distracted by a shiny, new overarching plot point. And so they throw out some suspects—Claire's husband, who could've abused her; a patient who grew fond of Claire while they were being treated for their respective mental traumas; the doctor who treated them; a lowlife whom Claire joined on a robbery spree while in a fugue state—and distribute red herrings and legitimate clues in equal measure. It's all pretty lazy, and the mystery isn't compelling—and any sense of suspense is null; there's no indication that any of these suspects will kill again, nor does it seem like they're going to skip town—but if you're tuning into Bones for the intricately woven cases of the week at this point, you obviously haven't watched a lot of Bones. Still, it sure was easy to suspect the guy who could only talk while he was playing the violin though, wasn't it? Can you imagine what his confession would've been like if he was the killer? Probably a bunch of shrill, rambling notes, followed by panicked pizzicato, and finally the slow, sorrowful chords of regret.

But that's not really the type of thing Bones is into any more. The greatest mystery the show ever presented was "Will 'Bones' and Booth do it?"—all the Gravediggers and mad snipers and gooey eyeballs were just competently crafted window dressing for a relationship between two seemingly star-crossed characters. Now that Brennan is carrying the solution to that mystery, there's the chance to put her and the baby in increasing levels of danger and have Booth fret about it but ultimately acknowledge Brennan's right to make those types of decisions. And Sweets will make sure Booth is giving Brennan the support she never received from her father, particularly once Brennan goes into labor, and Booth can't be there immediately because he'll obviously be out in the field. And then the baby will born, and everyone will stand around Brennan's hospital room—Cam masking her pride by finding something to disapprove of, and Hodgins playing peek-a-boo with the newborn, as if he wasn't the type of guy who used to think hospitals were really just corporate-funded organ-harvesting depots. And we'll all sit idly by and watch, probably folding laundry or clearing the kitchen table, because, hey, look—Bones is on.

A great new beginning for Bones fans :)..

..but this episode sure as hell doesn't deserve a 9.2 score.Yeah, I get it, everyone's just happy seeing B&B back, just as I am, but you can't go calling it the greatest premiere when it ISN'T! Even I, being a Bones fan, can appreciate that. Don't get me wrong. I loved the episode. It was just so great to see B&B so domestic and everything. Michael Hodgins is adorable. The episode had its moments and it's great to see them starting season 7 out so nicely. I get that fans were upset about the previous season, which blowed, and are just really excited to have a nice episode.

But the case was boring as hell. I found myself tuning out, which I don't really do often while watching crime shows, because according to me, the case is more important than whatever is going on in the side. And if the case is boring, there should be more of the other stuff, the family stuff or the tying-loose-ends stuff to cover it up, like in Rise. While there were cute moments, it wasn't enough to take away the stupor the case brought on.

On the other hand, it was wonderful to see everyone back. Despite going through massive changes, everyone was still the same in essence, and that was lovely to watch - as a Bones fan. However, if someone casually switched on the TV and tried watching this episode, it wouldn't capture their attention. So yeah, really great for fans, for casual watchers, not so much. I found it satisfying, but the 9.2 score is pushing it beyond the limits. As for B&B, they're cute but I still think they could do with taking a leaf out of White Collar's book..Peter and Elizabeth have been married since the series began and I still consider them one of the freshest couples on tv! Shows like that are proof of how well on screen relationships can work over many seasons.

A pleasant relief.

Look, this wasn't an ah-mazing episode in my opinion, but they handled things quite well. I think I speak for a lot of Bones-fans when I say we were quite worried about the aftermath of season 6, meaning: 'how could the show possibly be as good if Brennan and Booth actually ended up together?'

Let me assure, they did it. After the awkward and rushed season 6 finale (yes I know, it was very rude of Emily Deschanel to get pregnant :p) things just bounced back in season 7: witty banter, Brennan's obvious non-understanding in emotional 'family-issues'. And the hormones that induced her to cry :) Good job, keeping it light. Because 'Bones' still is comedy, and the teasing is still there, even though the main characters are in fact a couple, after all these years. In a way, I am glad this happened, because, seriously, it was taking so freaking long! To be honest, there are characters who have more chemistry, and I mean sexual instead of emotional (they are very funny together, I admit): Castle and firecracker Beckett, or ruthless Ziva and Tony on NCIS. So I am definitely glad with how things progressed here.

The episode had a pretty great story, interesting characters... Bones on its best. I gave this episode an 8 simply because I still have to get used to the whole Brennan/Booth-situation, but again, the writers did a pretty amazing job. I liked the emotional mayhem too, always an issue between the couple. Again, 'Bones' convinced me to keep watching!

*Seventh Season Begins With A Light And Entertaining Episode*

Case: The case is alright. The amnesiac murder victim is interesting though. I liked the place where the body was found, but they should have explored more of the whole paintball culture. It was kinda obvious who the killer is around the time he's introduced. Overall, it is once again, not so fitting for a premiere. I actually think they should've started the "big bad" arc as early as now. After all, this season will be shorter.

Relationships: We now see Booth & Brennan as a couple, with baby. I still enjoy the interaction between the two and the arguments they have, but i still really hope the writers would tone down on these arguments (especially those that they keep repeating) and concentrate more on the case and other stuff. I liked that they toned down the Hodgins-Angela relationship (at least on this episode). Booth & Sweets working together more often is a great idea, love the conversations between the two. Looking forward to see them in action (literally).

Side Comment/s: Baby Hodgins is cute!

Bottom Line: This is the best premiere since Season 4. Light and very entertaining. Also, a well-directed episode. The dialogue is still great. However, i wished this episode gave us something to look forward to in the new season than just Booth and Brennan's relationship and character interactions. I'm still hoping the cases and story arcs would get better like the early seasons with more action, mystery, danger, and suspense. Yes, however good this episode is, they are still missing.

it doesn't have to be perfect

it doesn't have to be perfect -it just shows that 2 people with hurts in the past can live in the present and overcome thier separate pasts to make something beautiful together. A littl faith, compromise, working towards a common goal. It's nice to see a show espouse family values, in this age of rebelliousness and loose morals

We`re back!!

Well after all this waiting I must say that this episode was a good start for this season.

A few months ago I was totally upset about the "baby thing" and I was so disappointed with the show, but after seeing the season premier I ended up overjoyed.

I love the way B&B are making changes and adapting. The scenes with the two of them were very funny and cute, specially the "I`m stuck" LMAO. And Brennan explaining every emotion she went through LOL.

The only thing that makes me not score 10, is that the kissing shots look like forced to Emily and David, it`s like they can`t project "hotness" for each other Lol. Hope they feel more real in upcoming episodes.

It was AWESUM one of the best season premieres ever
I mean Bones struggling with her hormonal episodes and then both of them adjusting to the situation at hand and the viewers are not allowed to forget Michael ( who is sooo cute).overall wonderful =)

Here Booth's protective side is always shown and how he is coping with Bones' independence. It brings out a very sweet and Hodgins watching over them in an amused way as if to say this is only the beginning....

Also how they are sharing their domestic issues....trying to find a place to live together and Angela's advice helps Bones to take the next step,....................

Well done with the move to coupledom!

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive before I saw the episode. Having the two main characters in a show become actually involved often is the harbinger of the end. Not so here!

Loved how they made a totally believable transition into coupledom while not changing their personality traits. Their interaction was still very much them and their affection and love still came through not despite their differences but because of them.

If they continue in this vein I have no doubt the show will be just as good as before.

And who wouldn't enjoy "hormonal" Bones rationally explaining crying over a corpse or Booth documenting the pregnancy by taking pictures of Bones in various resulting situations. And who wouldn't be in agreement with Angela that a picture of Booth making an omelette is more interesting than facial reconstruction, at least under the circumstances revealed:)

Admittedly, the story of the woman with retrograde amnesia was a bit of a background thing. But it also showed that pregnant or not, Bones still was the real "king of the lab".

Bones

plot summary error

I love this episode. And also think FINALLY! I would be remiss if I didn't point out an error in the plot summary. Bones would point out that her stomach is not changing in size. That would be quite alarming.

A fun, exciting, and outstanding start of a new story arc for so many upcoming b-story lines. This is one episode you don't want to miss!!

This is a wonderful, exciting, and outstanding episode and clearly starts a new story arc of b-stories that will take use through the end of the series (hopefully not for 20+ years) and beyond (revisits). While I've always wanted to see more of Angel (e.g. movies, revisits, etc), clearly Booth is David Boreanaz's calling.

This episode gives us both a wonderful crime and investigation drama and raises the typical b-stories to primary grade this time around. We really get to see the inter-workings of Booth, Bones, and their friends. We also see the various levels of each of them and how they are both close and in some cases, not so close. It is wonderful to see the writers didn't lose anything of their individual personalities when moving them closer together and still has the eye on the bible and are expanding it at the same time.

This episode clearly shows there are miles to go before we need to worry about the end of this wonderful and powerful series. In fact, I'd say only the desire of the actors to move on will be cause to end this massively energetic series.

Bottom line: If you haven't seen this episode, it is a MUST! Go to Hulu, buy the Blu-Ray (when it is available), download it, do what it takes, but don't miss this episode! It is that fun, rewarding, and interesting.

FINALLY!

With the apprehension I felt waiting for the new series to start I thought was going to ruin it when Bones finally began again. Thankfully I was very much smiling throughout the whole episode.

If you have watched Bones from the very beginning it is very much character driven and has always been. Its what has made it such a great show - do opposites really attract! YES they do.

The interactions have obviously changed between Booth/Bones with the kisses we get to see now but they still have those 'arguements' that we all know and love. I personally loved this episode and can't wait to see where it goes. The crime was just as good and kept you guessing although there were times at the end where it could have answered one or two more questions.

Finally (spoilers!).

I think it managed to live up to everybody's expectations. The case was good as always, but it was definitively not the thing you focused on.

I actually didn't think that they would be together. I thought that they were gonna be like Ross and Rachel (Friends) and get together when the baby comes. But this was way better!

I melted at every little kiss. They are a better couple than I could ever imagine, and I sincerely hope that they will stay together through the rest of the show. I did not expect them to be such an amazing couple. I've wanted them to get together forever, but I honestly never thought that they had that incredible chemistry. To sum up, this episode was fantastic, and I could not be more thrilled for Booth, Brennan and the baby.

Fantastic, the best ever, could of done with a touch more of the death we love as Bones fans but as a Bones fan it was perfect, a pleasure to watch, just brilliant, truly brilliant.

As a Bones fan when season 6 ended I was devestated, scared that my favourite show was changing so dramatically but what a success, Hart hanson cretainly knows what he's doing, a master at his job, the episode was smart, funny, delightful, I havent stopped smiling since it's arrival home. Best episode since the first, even though changes have happened in a way I did not want, this is truly a fantastic episode to change the way I thought about Bones, I will contiue to watch it and I will continue to Love it. Bravo!! Brilliant Episode, can't wait for the rest.

Finally!!!!

I couldn't be more happy with the turn out for the season 7 premiere!! The best thing to come out of the premiere has to be Booth and Bones FINALLY together as a couple. Not just dancing around their feelings. It's great!! It only took them 6 seasons. ha ha.

The one great thing about bones, as the show as a whole is that it is not just about solving the crimes and then they are done with it. There is some heartfelt stuff and don't forget the Bones humor. I never go an episode of Bones without laughing at something the characters say. It makes it even more enjoyable. I couldn't help but laugh in the episode when Sweets just starts staring at Booth to get information out of him about what was going on with Booth and Brennan. It was funny.

I am really looking forward to the next episodes! I really missed it. I want to see how Brennan and Booth's relationship continues to grow with the baby on the way. Oh, and I think that it would be really cool if Parker meets the baby when it is born. The typical blended family. Oh, and I hope that Booth proposes to Brennan. It would be just adorable. Soo much to look forward to this season!! :)

When all others cower, Hart Hanson and crew soldier forward and move their main characters to the next level.

I will admit to being so nervous about the season premiere that I actually did not enjoy it on my first viewing. So worried was I that people would hate it that I literally sat there thinking absolutely everything about the show felt unnatural. Then I caught my breath and I watched it again, nerves in check and that made all the difference in the world.

First off, the Moonlighting curse is nothing but an excuse used to drag out teased relationships far longer than should ever be done. Many many shows have killed themselves by trying to avoid the Moonlighting curse. And as for the Moonlighting curse, please don't throw that around if you're too young to have ever seen Moonlighting. Moonlighting didn't fail because David and Maddie slept together, Moonlighting failed because the show got really really bad really really fast. Like so fast, you almost need anti-depressants to watch it. They made the characters that everyone had fallen in love with completely miserable. Who wants to watch that?

What they've done here with Bones is so simple it's brilliant. They've allowed them the natural progression of having a relationship and taking a shot at being happy. The premiere makes it clear that this resolution of unersolved sexual tension has not in any way changed the personalities of the characters. They are the same two people finding their own ways to move through a new chapter in their lives. The episode isn't forced in that way, there is nothing unnatural about the way they interact. They are just Bones and Booth now with baby on the way. That suits me just fine. They both survived horrible childhoods and they are both insecure about the future but at least we get the feeling that there's hope they could find happiness together finally.

I see a few people griping online about feeling "Cheated" out of that missing 6 months or so and I have to say I don't share that feeling one little bit. This was the big risk they took, the time jump, but it might also be the best thing they did. Hiding a baby bump can be done but the show almost always suffers for it. It changes the feel of the show, the way it's shot and inevitably the character being hidden is sent off into some strange circumstance where it's nothing but reasonable that we would only see her from the shoulders up, and then hardly at all. Hiding, no, that would be a bad option with this show. Dr. Temperance Brennan would not ever sit on her butt in the lab without good excuse. And in this episode it did feel like she was absent more than she usually is but at least by not hiding the bump, the character has a justifiable reason and it doesn't have to be covered with weekly excuses that just don't feel right at all.

The episode itself was by necessity about the relationship moreso than it was about the case. The case actually was far more simple than what they usually deal with and they solved it a great deal slower than they normally would have to emphasize that yes, Dr. Temperance Brennan is human and even her thought processes can be derailed by the all-mighty hormone and the vulnerability she has opened herself up to in finally allowing herself to be in love.

Very much, this was a satisfying 43 minutes of television. In essence it was a here's where they are after the summer establishing episode. Actually, it's not unlike last season's opener where it seemed everyone was more pre-occupied with Booth's new girlfriend than they were about the case. And again, that episode followed a big time leap so even that is not so new a thing for this season. If the formula holds true, next week they will be back to the lab and more invested in crime solving, with drinks at Founding Father's skipped and swapped for kisses and sweet nothings for obvious reasons.

This viewer is very happy that one of her favorite shows finally was brave enough to take this route. I hope it succeeds and the Moonlighting curse vanishes in favor of the Bones Miracle.

Back to the best of Bones!

Bones had me worried in the first half of season 6--it seemed to be moving away from the things that I love about it. Bones has always been very character-driven, but the great characters who had been doing the driving were being given a backseat. The Booth-Bones relationship is really the heart of the show, with the whole opposites attract, we argue and bicker and banter all the time but we would die for each other, dynamic. I always loved seeing them come at an issue from two completely opposite directions. I also loved all the other characters, and how they interacted, and all the crazy "King of the Lab" stuff. The Hannah story arc disrupted all of that: it created a very serious story line away from Brennan, the squints, the lab and all the fun dynamics.

The second half of Bones returned to all the things I loved, the characters and relationships and dark humour, then when they pulled the surprise pregnancy in the last five seconds of the finale, I was afraid it would all go away again. (I have since learned it was precipitated by Emily Deschanels' real-life pregnancy.)

I was very happy to see in this episode that it hasn't. The Booth-Brennan relationship is the same as it always was, the baby and commitment just provides new things for them to be all Booth and Brennan about. I was also relieved they are treating it with the edge of humour that is part of what sets this show apart from other police procedurals.

And as for the police procedural part, 7 seasons in, they are still finding interesting crimes with interesting twists and ways to keep us guessing until the end. My only note is that we never find out how the victim got the beating that made her lose her memory and go into a fugue state in the first place. We can assume it was her husband, but then that is never proven and he gets off scott-free.

Finally back!!!

Bones has plenty of issues to resolve, but she has the willingness to do so. I think she's scared of the uncertainty of the future, up till this point in her life she had had a predictable future, but now with the baby and well also with Booth she's having to confront her fears of abandonment.

The best moment of the episode is when both say they love each other, that's what made my day.

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